Interactive Art Installed
Kaleidoscope at The Friends Place
Tuesday, May 20th, the Friends installed a Botanic Garden Kaleidoscope built, delivered, and installed by Bob Anderson in The Friends Place. This metal sculpture has three kaleidoscopes to look through at various levels. The center bowl may be changed with the seasons to create a variety of colors to enjoy through the kaleidoscopes. We hope you’ll have a chance to stop by The Friends Place and enjoy the kaleidoscope and the view of the Penokee Mountain Range. Thank you to Matt Mesko & Russ Karow from the Mellen City crew who were on hand to help with the heavy lifting. Thank you to Ken & Kay Reader and Mike Thewis for helping to install the concrete pad.
Please note and share with family & friends that may be interested: Bellringer Run sponsorships are $100 and due by Friday, June 6th.
You may enter the Bellringer Run online here: https://register.chronotrack.com/r/86087Prices go up $5. for registration on June 1st. This includes the cost of t-shirts for the t-shirt only buyers. Paper forms for t-shirt only buyers are available at the library, or I can email you a copy to fill out. Just let me know how I can help you. The last time & day to order a t-shirt is before NOON on Friday, June 13th. This means all who wish to receive a t-shirt; those participating in the race and those that just want a shirt. Race registration will be open through July 4th at 8am. Register early, receive a shirt and save money.
The Summer Reading theme is “Color Our World”. Start recording reading points for patches & medals on Monday, June 2nd through August 30th. For each 25 points you may pick a patch and when you earn 50 points you’ll receive your 2025 Summer Reading Medal. Pick up a Summer Reading Brochure with a list of additional events and activities. In person programming will take place for six weeks for the Middles (Grades 1-5) and the Littles (3-5 years old). The dates for the Middles are Tuesday mornings at 10:30 am: June 17 & 24, July 1, 8, 15, and 22. The dates for the Littles are Thursday mornings at 9am: June 19 & 26, July 3, 10, 17, and 24. There are contests and paint opportunities for our Teens in addition to reading points for patches & a medal. Adult programming includes a monthly paint night, book club discussion, and movie night. During these six weeks, June 16-July 26, all patrons with Mellen as their home library are welcome to visit the library and participate in a weekly for a movie gift certificate for $34. Stop by the library and pick up a paint palette sheet or bookmark according to your age grouping. There are library & reading related challenges listed. Complete the challenges and return the sheet or bookmark to the library to be entered into the drawing for a $34 gift certificate for the Ashland Bay Cinema. This equals the cost of two general admission tickets and two senior/child tickets for movies after 5pm. Drawing entries will start fresh each week.
Asahi Nordic Exercise will meet on Wednesday, June 4th at 8:30am outside in The Friends Place. If the weather or bugs are an issue, we’ll move indoors.
At an evening book presentation at the Legion Memorial Library, the attendees traveled to a time 1000 years BEFORE the Viking Era. The setting: during the dominating Roman Empire; the places: starting in the Netherlands and including what is now France, Germany, Spain, Italy, England and other European nations; the people: the Cimbri plus other early tribes of Gaul and Germany; the book category: historical fiction; the book title: Terror Cimbricus; the author: Jeff Hein, a Mellen alumni.
In his book Jeff explains the real historical characters, places and maps, then lists the fictional characters such as Borr, Aldric, Ansgar on separate pages before they mix in a historical fiction story. Jeff recounted hours of researching historical documents, archeological discoveries and site visitations to gather material for the book’s subject – the Cimbri people and their exploits.
Attendees asked Jeff questions about the artifacts he displayed, the process to get this book published, and plot twists for the fourth book in his series. He thoroughly answered everything asked except about the fourth book’s plot or title.